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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25781398">I Found You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/defiersofthestars/pseuds/defiersofthestars'>defiersofthestars</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Prompt Fic, Rey has a son, Soft Ben Solo, stars and cocoa nights</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:48:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,629</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25781398</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/defiersofthestars/pseuds/defiersofthestars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on the prompt by @galacticidiots: AU where Rey was forced to give her kid up for adoption. Social worker Ben fell in love with the tiny bundle and despite being a single guy in his 20s was able to adopt him. Years later, Rey, now free from her grandfather’s influence, finally finds them. They meet.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>235</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Galactic Idiots Collection</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Found You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I fell in love with this story. Hope you'll like it.</p><p> </p><p>  <a href="https://ibb.co/hXZGssq"></a><br/></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She will never forget this feeling – the weight of a warm little human being on her chest, already beloved and treasured, although he is only a few hours old and he doesn’t even know where he is and with whom.</p><p> </p><p>He looks so delicate, and Rey carefully touches his tiny pink fingers. His blond hair under her lips is soft as a feather and scented. This is a special scent, warm and tender, and she can feel her heart filling with love for him. Her son is her little miracle, her sunshine.</p><p> </p><p>Rey hasn’t decided on his name before. She wanted to wait for the moment when she would see and hold him for the first time. But now, looking into his sleepy eyes, touching his soft skin, she realizes that there is no word in any language of the world to carry the truth about what he means to her.</p><p> </p><p>She falls asleep. And when she wakes up, he is gone.</p><p>He is only five days old.</p><p> </p><p>She cries. She begs. She threatens. Her grandfather, who just came back from the long trip to Europe, still refuses to tell her who took her baby and where he was taken. His assistant and servants that look more like praetorian guardians keep silent.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>(“Too bad I found out about all this too late. You are 18, you yourself are still a stupid child. You can't even take care of yourself. I have no intention to mess with your bastard and spend money on him. I’ve found other people for that.”)</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>The worst thing is that she almost believes him - she <em>is</em> a child.</p><p> </p><p>They bring food to her room three times a day. Rey can't take a bite in her mouth. For a few weeks before the birth, she had been talking to him about the books to read and the movies to watch together. She also had gone to the park and described to him what other children had been playing, listening to the feelings inside. What would he like best?</p><p> </p><p>Rey has shared her heart with him – and now she feels like a piece of it has been torn. It's really surprising that there is no scar on her chest. Her warm eyes are now hollow and dark, and something hewed from ice can be found there.</p><p> </p><p>She continues to paint in her studio next to her bedroom, diligently working on the paintings for the clients of her grandfather, famous artist Sheev Palpatine. What if it’s possible to appease him? What if one day he melts and says where he had sent her son?</p><p> </p><p>But all is in vain. The very image of courtesy at public events, in his mansion he becomes a cold-blooded monster, barely a human being. Nonetheless, Rey knows that if she runs away from him, she will lose hope on seeing her son again forever. Despite everything, now she is still able to earn money for the future and learn the secrets of Sheev’s craft (sometimes she thinks he sold his soul to the devil for them). To her despair, the greatest secret is still safe.</p><p> </p><p>The day her son was born seems to have been erased from the memory of this house – erased from <em>existence</em>. There are no notes, no emails, no camera records or working phone numbers. No real addresses. Nothing has left, except Rey’s memories that she’s holding onto.</p><p> </p><p>Rey still has hope. Wherever her son is now, she believes he is fine. She can <em>feel</em> it.</p><p> </p><p>The death of Sheev changes everything. A sudden massive stroke prevents him from doing what he threatened being furious: bequeathing his entire fortune to the city – not to the granddaughter, <em>a disgrace to the name of Palpatine</em> despite plenty of beautiful, mesmerizing pictures painted by her.</p><p> </p><p>It doesn’t matter that only few people working in their mansion and the doctor, who has received the generous compensation for his silence, know about her being pregnant; her <em>bastard</em> could have become one more disgrace to the family, almost more than Rey’s father who drunk himself to death.</p><p> </p><p>It was all over the news, online and offline: he was on a yacht with a bunch of people who were just as drunk (and baked like a cake) and fell overboard. The others recorded it and posted online. Rey’s mother fled away, leaving her ten-year-old daughter in the care of her grandfather, and was never heard from again.</p><p> </p><p>Now, Rey is an owner of significant funds and a big mansion, with a maid and her grandfather's former assistant, Mr. Maul (aka a personal chauffeur). She rarely appeared in public even before, and eventually the journalists forget about her. But she remembers <em>everything</em> and even managed to find something.</p><p> </p><p>She visits the new office of that doctor who delivered her baby. He pretends he doesn’t know her. She threatens him with (<em>non-existent</em>) contacts of her grandfather and that she will call HMRC or something higher up. Finally, she gets the address of the orphanage where her son might be sent – the doctor doesn’t tell her his name, though.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There comes a day when her world changes. Rey is torn between fear, excitement, and hope, licking her lips nervously, staring out the car window. Mr. Maul glances at her pale hands trembling on her knees in the rearview mirror, saying nothing, and stops the car near the entrance to the high brick building of the orphanage.</p><p> </p><p>He doesn't wish her luck. He doesn’t even say she was mad. The people in Sheev Palpatine's mansion are good at keeping quiet.</p><p>A half and an hour later, Rey is looking at the card from the archive. Words blur before her eyes, as does the boy's face.</p><p> </p><p>Her son’s name is Rian Annon (a reference to <em>"anonymous"</em>). His hazel eyes look at the camera with timid hope, his thick blond hair is perfect, being the only trait he hasn’t got from Rey.</p><p> </p><p>He is very nice, but thin. How does he sound when he laughs? Which books does he like to read? Does he have a toy to go to bed with?</p><p> </p><p><em>He was adopted a year ago</em>, the headmistress of the orphanage tells her, after listening to the story of his desperate mother with doubt and then with sympathy. All the educators cried on the day of his departure – they had grown attached to that affectionate boy.</p><p> </p><p>“He used to give everyone his paintings for holidays and always leave one for that woman who would come for him one day. Ben told him to take them too,” Mrs. Kanata adds, sipping tea with a smile. “He said that later, he would be able to make up the album of paintings for his mom.”</p><p> </p><p>“Who said?” Rey asks absently. She has been painting since childhood, but hearing about the joy this brings to her son too makes her feel a striking pain deep within her. She has already missed so many important moments in his life. His first smile. His first step. His first word. The first movement of his brush.</p><p> </p><p>“Ben is one of the social workers who works with our orphanage. He really fell in love with Rian and eventually decided to adopt him. Others would say that he is too young – he’s barely 30 – but I haven’t met a more responsible and kind man before. Your son is in good hands, Miss Niima. (Rey has two last names but always uses her mother's maiden name).</p><p> </p><p>“I want to meet my son!” Rey croaks, leaning forward and clutching her skirt with her trembling hands. Her eyes are burning from tears, and she looks so miserable that could get blood from a stone. “I’m begging you, I will do anything, I will pay any money –”</p><p> </p><p>“I will give Ben your phone number, and you will make an appointment. <em>For free</em>,” the headmistress stresses. “I'll tell him about you. If you want, you can make a donation. We will buy toys or new furniture for our children.“</p><p>Rey is ready to kiss her hands.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Several hours later, her phone rings, and Rey can't help but squeaks. The number is unknown, but she knows who it is. Trembling all over, she holds the phone to her ear. Before her eyes, is the face of her son – Rian.</p><p> </p><p>It's a good name. It means <em>"little king"</em>.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello?” she breathes quietly.</p><p> </p><p>She hears a deep, soft voice on the other end of the line.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They agreed to meet on neutral territory, in Mon Mothma Park in the city center. Rey, wearing a light dress, her brown hair in her favorite three buns, stands holding a huge bag with presents for Rian tightly, as if drawing strength from it. Rising on tiptoe, she looks around the square fronting the big marble fountain behind her back. Couples in love, lonely adults, and whole families are walking around the park. Before Rey’s eyes, a boy of about seven is thrown in the air and finds himself sitting on the shoulders of his father, laughing loudly. Rey smiles faintly, wondering if Ben and Rian do the same.</p><p> </p><p>As she turns her head, the world around her fades.</p><p> </p><p>Her son walks slowly down the alley towards her, his simple clothes – red pants, a white shirt, and a blue jacket – suddenly makes her heart sink. A tall young man in a plaid shirt and jeans is holding his hand.</p><p> </p><p>Ben Solo.</p><p> </p><p>His thick black hair frames his pale face, his dark eyes scanning the park. He looks stern, but then Rian says something, and Ben responds with a warm smile softening his angular features. Rey, unable to stand still, goes to meet them.</p><p> </p><p>They stop a foot away, facing each other, Rian staring at her with his eyes wide open. Rey blinks, her prepared speech flying out of her mind. Her heartbeat feels like a drum echoing within her chest and consuming her hearing.</p><p> </p><p>"Rian –" she licks her dry lips, looking at her son and not daring to smile. What if he thinks it’s a mockery?</p><p>He hides behind Ben and looks at her uncertainly, as if expecting her to curse him.</p><p> </p><p>“I'm Rey. I... Forgive me, my love, I should’ve come earlier. I should've b-been there all these years.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey crouches down to level with him and puts the bag on the ground. Her eyes of the same color as Rian’s are full of tears.</p><p> </p><p>“They split us up only a few days after you had been born, and I couldn’t find you. I have always loved you, my dear, and I <em>will</em> always love you. <em>Can you forgive me?“</em></p><p>
  
</p><p>Smiling shyly, she holds out her hand. Ben squeezes Rian’s shoulder. Slowly, the boy steps forward and touches her palm with his warm fingers, as if checking if Rey is real, and then looks into her eyes again. Rey nods to confirm her words, and he throws himself around her neck.</p><p> </p><p>His soft blond hair smells like citrus shampoo and tickles her nose, but she also smells the same scent on him she has been remembering all these years. She kisses his soft, rosy cheek and closes her eyes, no longer holding back tears. The world freezes around them.</p><p> </p><p>“They won't come after you again?” she hears his thin voice coming from her buns.</p><p> </p><p>“No, no!” Rey strokes his thin back. “I’m here, and I’m not going to let anyone tear us apart.”</p><p> </p><p>“I live at Ben’s place,” Rian says, still wrapping her in his arms. “He's good, and I love him. I don't want to leave him.”</p><p> </p><p>Rey suddenly remembers the presence of Rian’s adoptive father, who still hasn't said a word. Lifting her son in her arms (it’s difficult, because he is a bit heavy for her), she straightens up. She doesn't know what to expect. Will he be resented? Will he get angry? Will he turn around and leave?</p><p> </p><p>Sniffing, she looks at him with all the dignity she can muster, her face flushing and shining with tears. Up close, she sees that his eyes are not black, but golden brown. He smiles again, softly and a little bit sadly.</p><p> </p><p>“Let's just get acquainted for now. We all have many things to say to each other.“</p><p> </p><p>“Mom, what is it?” Rian asks, pointing to the forgotten bag. His words make Rey’s heart jump.</p><p> </p><p>“I brought you some presents, honey. I hope you’ll like them.”</p><p> </p><p>She puts him on the ground to have a look. After seeing Ben nodding, Rian roots through the bag.</p><p>“Ben Solo,” Ben holds out his hand. Rey meets it with her own, and her hand gets engulfed in his wide palm.</p><p> </p><p>“Rey Niima.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, <em>Atlas of the Night Sky</em>!” Rian exclaims joyfully, holding a large colorful book with gilded cover. He continues, making both Ben and Rey smile. “Soo cool. <em>ABCs of Art</em>, <em>Katie and the Sunflowers</em>… more about Katie… coloring books. Yeahhh. And this –“</p><p> </p><p>“This is an artist apron, so you can paint and not be afraid to get dirty,” Rey explains. “Look, there are pockets for brushes and pencils.”</p><p>Rian’s face looks like he's ready to start painting right now. The other presents in the bag cause him smile and laugh more. He hugs Rey’s legs gratefully.</p><p> </p><p>“Why don't we go sit down somewhere?” Ben suggests gently.</p><p> </p><p>Rey likes his voice, as well as confidence and calmness exuding from him, but she still doesn’t know what to expect. She really wants to believe that he will be able to understand her, but until now all the men she came across were untrustworthy. She was really cut up when Rian’s cowardly father had disappeared forever seven months before Rian was born.</p><p> </p><p>“I want ice cream!” Rian says, looking up at Ben and grinning.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, really?” he responds with a smirk.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s your favorite flavor?” Rey asks.</p><p> </p><p>“Chocolate. Ben likes it too. And yours?”</p><p> </p><p>“You know, I still can’t choose between chocolate and strawberry,” Rey confesses.</p><p> </p><p>“Here you’ll taste the best chocolate ice cream in the world! Trust me,” Rian assures her.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, my little ice cream sommelier,” Rey smiles at his patronizing tone. Now he looks concerned.</p><p> </p><p>“Ben, can I be both an artist and an ice cream <em>summerer </em>when I grow up?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course you can.” Ben throws back his head, laughing. Rey objectively notices he has a nice, deep laugh.</p><p> </p><p>Together they walk towards the café, and from the side they look like any ordinary family. Ben, taking the bag with Rian’s presents, holds his hand; Rey holds the other one, and the boy glances at them with a big smile on his face.</p><p> </p><p>Sitting at the table, they continue learning more about each other, making light conversation. Rian tells Rey what he ate for breakfast, how he and Ben went to the cinema yesterday, and the car a protagonist from the movie had <em>(</em>“<em>It’s the bee's knees!”)</em>.</p><p> </p><p>Rey tells them how long she had been thinking what to buy Rian for a present and quickly asks whether he likes <em>Harry Potter</em>. She wants to buy him the first book.</p><p>“Ben has all seven books! They’re his favorite. I’ll read them right after those you gave me today.”</p><p> </p><p>Unable to resist, Rey looks at the muscular fan of stories about wizards sitting across her. He shrugs calmly, his eyes glistening with content.</p><p> </p><p>The day goes by fast – <em>too fast</em>. Carefully omitting some details of her life for the past six years, Rey shares her story. However, judging by Ben's clenched jaw, he knows what she’s hiding. Mrs. Kanata told him about Rey, and he has been working in the foster system long enough to see past words spoken.</p><p> </p><p>For her part, Rey now knows that Ben met Rian thanks to the paintings he had given everyone at the orphanage for the Christmas the year before that. Over the years of working with troubled families, Ben has been seeing many children, but only after meeting Rian personally, he felt something changed inside him.</p><p> </p><p>Now he wants to take care of Rian. He wants to become a good father to him and give him a family. Ben's parents, Han and Leia, dote on the boy and are always ready to babysit when their son needs to go to work. Rey herself cannot boast of a loving family of hers and thanks God for all the good people surrounding Rian.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>They decide to make regular appointments to help Rian get used to his mother, and that's all – <em>for now</em>. Ben means a lot to him, and Rey doesn’t want to hurt her son in any way.</p><p> </p><p>She hands over her grandfather's gloomy mansion to the city authorities and rents a large apartment near Mon Mothma Park that Rian loves so much. She decorates the walls with paintings he gave her when they first met. There are the pictures of blue butterflies and other animals, of his room at the orphanage, of Ben and his parents sitting at the table with fruit. His paintings are far from perfect, but Rey has never seen more beautiful pictures.</p><p> </p><p>The money left after the death of Sheev gives her full freedom – she makes a sizable donation for Mrs. Kanata’s orphanage and still has enough to live carefree live. She makes up a room for herself and a studio, a nursery for Rian, and a guest bedroom for Ben in case if they want to stay overnight. Sometimes it is Rey who comes to visit them. They live in a small yet cozy apartment twenty minutes away from her new home. It seems small mainly because of Ben’s height and the breadth of his shoulders, on which Rian loves to sit. Her son proudly shows her his paintings and books, his teddy bear Chewie, and tries to tell her something new every time.</p><p> </p><p>“He fears that you’ll leave him,” Ben tells her one day when Rian runs off to bring Rey his new painting to compare with hers. “He fears so much that you would be disappointed in him. Oftentimes, people return children back to orphanages if they don’t meet their expectations.”</p><p>Rey looks at him in horror. It is <em>she</em> who showers Rian with kisses, makes up almost a whole plan of entertainment for all of them, and cooks something new and delicious every time in order to make amends for her guilt at least a little.</p><p> </p><p>“I would never... You know that I -“</p><p> </p><p>“I know.” Ben reaches for her hand, but grips his fork instead and awkwardly cuts off a piece of the apple pie Rey has cooked today. “Just give him more time.“</p><p>She smiles gratefully. Ben didn’t disappoint her hopes and in every possible way encourages Rian to spend more time with Rey. He has already learned many unpleasant, even horrible family stories, but they didn’t turn him hard; no, on the contrary, they strengthened his sense of compassion and hope.</p><p> </p><p>He used to wonder a lot about who Rian’s parents might be, but he didn’t even imagine that his great-grandfather took him away from his mother. Rey never speaks of his real father as if he doesn’t exist. Rian doesn’t even ask about him – <em>Ben</em> is his only father.</p><p> </p><p>Ben and Rey quickly hit it off thanks to their shared love for Rian and similar tastes in literature and cinema. None of them talks about the future, but Rey cannot help but notice that, as soon as they leave, she misses not only Rian, but also his adoptive father. Rian, her inquisitive, affectionate boy (who has not yet grown to love vegetables), brought light back into her life. He gave it a new meaning. Is it possible that he could also restore her faith in people?</p><p> </p><p>It’s obvious to Ben that Rian will never consider anyone else but Rey as his mother from now on. He is only six, but he knows how to express his intentions solidly and clearly. But this is not the only reason why he supports Rian’s desire to get closer to Rey. Ben likes her very much – not only as a woman who wants to become a good mother for her child, but also as a person. She is kind, sincere, and she knows how to create coziness wherever she is. Both she and Rian are good at it.</p><p> </p><p>Several months pass from the day they met to the day when, after a careful study of <em>Atlas of the Night Sky</em>, Rian invites Ben and Rey to the balcony of her apartment. Sitting under a clear night sky, they listen to his story about stars and constellations. Wrapped in warm blankets, with cups of cocoa in their hands, they all feel good and calm – like <em>a family</em>.</p><p> </p><p>The air is filled with the smell of flowers planted in the pots that Rey placed the balcony railing in her apartment. Rian’s melodious voice is soothing, and Rey doesn’t notice how, taking another sip from her cup, lays her head on Ben's shoulder. Freezing momentarily, he reaches out, intertwining his fingers with hers. Rey is sure he’s smiling and strokes his hand with her thumb.</p><p> </p><p>Everything becomes clear without a single word, but with the sound of a child's voice telling about Cassiopeia, along with the first kiss, when they see that the faint, warm feeling that bound them thanks to Rian managed to become stronger and now shines almost the same as Sirius – the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major, the brightest star in the night sky.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Rey never thought she’d like to share her love with anyone else besides Rian. Ben had been thinking the same thing until recently. Fortunately, they both were wrong.</p><p>Two years later, Ben learns one more thing: it’s surprisingly easy to love someone who hasn’t even been born yet with all your heart.</p>
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